Don't get too low on the team -- the loss doesn't signal doomsday. Toronto has shortcomings thatwere exposed. They got flat-out beat by a very good team at that.

LABEL DOESN'T FIT

The expansion label doesn't fit the Sounders, with a nucleus of their team and staff making the jump directly from USL first division to Major League Soccer. The infrastructure was already in place for the team to be good quickly.

That being said, it's ridiculous how well Seattle head coach Sigi Schmid has got his side playing together in such a short amount of time.

Savvy midfield additions of Brad Evans and Osvaldo Alonso dominated the middle of the park, while first overall pick in MLS SuperDraft Steve Zakuani and French winger Sebastien Le Toux tore TFC apart down the wings. All four are young and talented. Even TFC cast-off, centre-back Tyrone Marshall looked strong anchoring Seattle's defensive line.

When MLS player of the month, striker Fredy Montero returns to the team after his off-field problems are resolved, and designated player and goal scorer Freddie Ljungberg is fully fit and hits his stride, Seattle may turn out to be the class of the Western division.

It's not just the personnel, but it's Seattle's system that makes the side as strong as they are. Schmid's not the league's top manager for no reason. The formation and team organization is superior and is what will keep them competitive, even when their players have an off day.

And that's Carver's challenge with TFC: Put a system in place where the players he's been provided can excel.

Quite frankly, the team Mo Johnston has put together is talented but flawed.

UP TO CARVER

It's up to Carver to disguise any weakness for TFC to become a very good team.

Aside from a need to upgrade centre-back and the contentious issue of acquiring a designated player, TFC's biggest problem is a complete lack of width.

TFC's wing players are talented, but not natural outside players.

Instead of staying outside, creating space by working the sideline, the wing players drift into the middle of the park all-too-often, eliminating space.

Even when they're wide, the spacing is all-wrong. You love to see players attack off the dribble in the attacking third and TFC has the personnel to do so successfully. But with so much bunching, the skilled players don't have the time or space to execute.

If TFC can't utilize the holes down the flanks, they won't get the most out of Dwayne De Rosario and Amado Guevara. Carver has to find a way to straighten the imbalance. That may mean reverting to a system featuring four out-and-out attacking players, rather than a traditional 4-4-2. Another option is moving D-Ro up front and playing a version of a 4-3-3.